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mango help!

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I have problems with mangos too.  I tried my first one a few years ago and it was horrible, mainly because it was not ripe.  I have tried again since then but I can't ever pick a good one.  The pictues I've seen of mangos the inside looks soft and juicy.  How do you pick a good mango?

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Yeah, it should be heavy and a little soft.

I don't think any fruit will ripen once it has been cut but I am not a fruit expert. 

Why do mangoes make you think of George Costanza???  I have seen a lot of Seinfeld but not every episode.  :)

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Maybe you could make something with it like salsa or cook it into a sauce or fruit tart.

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i'm no expert but i usually pick one and see if it smells good.  i then let it sit for a couple of days until it gets a bit soft.  i have a special mango cutter that makes it easy to cut as well.  i wish u the best of luck b/c they are amazing if u get a good one.  don't give up hope.

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I eat my mango when it's as soft as possible without having brown spots or blemishes (holes, mold, etc.). The softer, the sweeter and juicier.

I would also advise cooking or baking your already-cut under-ripe mango into a dish, that would most likely break down some of the flesh into sugar and make it sweeter and tastier.

The color on a mango doesn't say much about how ripe it is, and I never find that mangos smell like much of anything. I would definitely go with a little squeeze in the future.

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I wait for my mango to get soft too, like you would with an avocado. Just don't let it get too mushy and brown. I love my mango with lime juice and a little cayenne pepper. Same way I like my jicama. I hope you find your sweet, ripe mango because they're so good.

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sorry about your bad luck!!

i am the mango queen :) and i have a few suggestions:

a) if possible, buy your mngoes from an ethnic store... indian, mexian, chinese.... somehow they have the in on good mangoes. plus, they buy in bulk, so it's usually cheaper
b) buy in season. this is hard in NA because we can't really tell what that is, but depending on what kind of mango you're getting (indian or latin american) it might be different. summer is better, winter and spring will be stringy, and less ripe.
c) a mango should be heavy, slightly soft, and should have a slightly fruity smell (in a refridgerated market, you'll have to go by the first two). colour doesn't have a whole lot to do with it, but it shouldn't be totally bright green (especially indian mangoes, which are bright orangey yellow when ripe).
d) let them sit for a little while on your counter.... with magoes that always seem to be a little tart, you can almost wait for the skin to get a little (a LITTLE!!) wrinkly... as long as the colour is still bright, for the sweetest taste. you should definately be able to dig your thumb through the skin of a ripe mango.
e) i sometimes like a slightly unripe mango for salads... if i'm not paying attention when i cut one open and it's not good for eating plain, chop it into matchsticks and go thai on its ass. salads, rolls or anything that needs a tangy bite to it.

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An article here: 

http://www.waitrose.com/food_drink/wfi/ingredients/fruitandvegetables/0006084.asp

Here in Florida some of the locals eat them unripe with salt, pepper and a little vinegar.

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Mango chutney!!!

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If you're sure you've purchased a mango that's underipe (and you haven't cut into it), try putting it in a paper bag and stick it on top of the refrigerator for a night. It should ripen up a bit.

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ever since I got a taste of mango ripened and fresh picked from a tree (while I was in Hawaii) I just can't bring myself to buy them in the store.  I tried twice and was disappointed.  They're just not the same!  Try making a mango salsa!  :)

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another good tip is when it's ripe, the place where the stem was at the top (i don't know what you'd call that... the eye?) will leak a tiny drop of nectar if gently  squeezed or leak it on it's own.  just make sure it's a pretty fresh drop.

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Now, I have tried this with underripe avocados (recommended by a chef on NPR)  and was underwhelmed,but you can try this. Re-cover the mango with the bit you cut off, wrap tightly in clingfilm and microwave for about 20 sec. Allow it to stand for 10 sec, and see if it's soft. You can do this until it's "ripe" (ie cooked) enough to eat.

However, as I said I was underwhelmed with the micro-ripened avocados. But in a pinch...Somehow micro-ripening seems like black magic to me... ::)

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i just pick the squishiest mango and it's always delicious! I live in california, so we get them decently fresh here

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At Kroger today, mangoes were 3/$1!!!

Mangoes should smell like mangoes before you cut them.

If you get an under-ripe one, it's time to make mango sorbet.  In a blender combine mango, orange juice, and sugar to taste.

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Sounds good, Robin! I like sorbets because we don't even have home icecream freezers here, so you can make this in your home freezer.

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